Pulses: putting life into the farming system. Pulses. putting life into the farming system NSW DPI....

PulsesPutting life into the farming system

By Dr Eric Armstrong and Di Holding

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

An insight from growers who are making pulses work

Pulses putting life into the farming system 1

Contents

Introduction 2

Pulsesinthefarmingsystem 2

Opportunitiesforweedmanagement 2

Pulseinoculation 3

Nitrogenfixation 4

Assessingnodulation 6

DrewFarming 10

GrahamFarming 14

EckermannFarming 18

ScholzFarming 23

SchirmerFarming 26

© State of New South Wales through the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services 2015. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute the NSW Department of Primary Industries as the owner.ISBN 978-1-74256-718-1JTN 13498

DisclaimerThe information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (January 2015). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of the Department of Primary Industries or the user’s independent adviser.

AuthorsDrEricArmstrong,SeniorResearchAgronomist(Pulses),NSWDPI,WaggaWaggaAgriculturalInstituteandDiHolding,AnDiCommunications.

ContributorsMarkRichards,NSWDPI,WaggaWaggaAgriculturalInstitute–DrewFarmingcasestudy.

DebSlinger,CentreDirectorandManagerSouthernCroppingSystems,NSWDPI,WaggaWaggaAgriculturalInstitute–SchirmerFarmingcasestudy.

Acknowledgements

Grower participantsAspecialthankstothegrowersandtheirfamilieswhohaveenthusiasticallysharedtheirexperiencesofhowtheymakepulsespartoftheirsuccessfulfarmingsystems:• GaryandHeatherDrew,Brocklesby;• DigbyandDenzilGraham,Coolamon;• NickEckermann,RankinSprings;• MurrayScholz,Culcairn;and• NeilSchirmer,Lockhart.

Editing assistanceDrAnnabelBowcher,AnDiCommunications,DonMcCaffery,TechnicalSpecialist(PulsesandOilseeds)NSWDPI,OrangeandLukeGaynor,LeaderSouthernDrylandCroppingSystems,NSWDPI,WaggaWagga.

PhotosAllphotosbytheauthorsunlessotherwisenoted.

Cover photoKymEckermannandhisson,Nick,longtermadvocatesofusingpulsecropsasanintegralcomponentofasoundfarmingsystem,andlongtermcooperators,hostingthelargeston-farmpulsetrialsiteinsouthernNSWandmajorpulsecropfielddayssince1996.PhotobyDrEricArmstrong.

Pulsesputtinglifeintothefarmingsystem NSWDPI2

Introduction

Pulses in the farming systemPulsesarevaluablebreakcropsinallAustraliancroppingsystems,andtheirrolehasincreasedinimportanceoverthepast50yearsascroppingprogramsintensify.FarmingsystemsinsouthernNSWareunique,havingevolvedonacidicsoilsunderaley-farmingsysteminvolvingpastures,livestockandcereals.Recently,theyhavemovedtomoreintensecropping,focusingonsequencesofcereals,oilseedsandpulses.

Thesechangesfollowhugeinvestmentsintoplantbreeding,agronomy,marketingandeducationbystateagencies,theGrainsResearchandDevelopmentCorporationandprivateenterprise.Increasedcroppingintensityhasbeensupportedbynewherbicidetechnologies,soilliming,mechanisation,directdrillingandstubbleretention,andmorerecentlyGPSguidanceandcontrolledtrafficfarming.

CropsequencesinsouthernNSWneedtobedynamic,diversified,flexible,profitableandsustainable,incorporatingbalancesofcereals,oilseeds,pulsesorforagesbestsuitedtothelocalproducer.

Thepulsecomponent(lupin,fieldpea,fababean,chickpeaandlentil)bringsmanyadvantagesincluding: • Disease breaks.Differentsequencesofcrops/speciesinterruptmostdiseasecyclesofthecropoutofphase,therebydiminishingoreliminatingthecausalpathogens.

• Symbiotically fixed nitrogen.RhizobiacoloniserootnodulesofpulsesandbiologicallyconvertN2gas(80%oftheatmosphere)intoamoreavailableplantform(ammonia–NH3).ThisprocessbenefitsN-farminginthreeways:1.thepulseisindependentofappliedfertiliserN;2.soilmineralNis“spared”duringthepulses

growth;and3.residualNfixedbythepulseisavailablefor

uptakebyfollowingcrops.ThisorganicformoffixedNhastheadvantageofbeingmorestableand“slowrelease”innaturecomparedtofertiliserN.

• Reduced dependence on the use of fertiliser Noverthewholefarm.FertiliserNfluctuatesgreatlyinpriceasitsproductionislinkeddirectlytofuelpriceandworldwidedemand.Inaddition,itsutilisationefficiencyisoftenpoorduetochallengeswiththetimingofapplicationandlossesfromvolatilisation.

• Weed management opportunities.Alternateherbicidegroupsandweedcontroltacticscanbeemployedin

pulsecropstotacklehardtokillweedsandherbicideresistantpopulations.

• Soil moisture conservation.Shallow-rootedandearlymaturingpulsessuchasfieldpeaandfababeanarelessexploitativeofsoilmoistureandoftenleavesomemoistureforfollowingcrops.Thisisimprovedfurtherbycrop-toppingandbrownmanuring.

• Efficient utilisation of machinery.Differentdevelopmentalpatternsofdiversecropsallowthesamesowing,sprayingandharvestmachinerytobeusedmoreefficientlyoverlongerperiods.

• Efficient utilisation of time.Sowing,managementandharvestwindowsarewidenedwhenadiversityofcropsareadopted.

• Marketing.Marketingawiderangeofcropscanopenadditionalmarketsandreducepriceriskexposure.

Opportunities for weed managementAddingdiversitytocroppingsequencescreatesadditionalopportunitiesforweedcontroltacticssuchasusingherbicidesfromdifferentmodeofactiongroups,crop-toppingtostopweedseedset,andpre-

Pulse Research and Development at Wagga Wagga Agricultural InstituteAteamofresearchersatWaggaWaggaAgriculturalInstitutefocusonthepulsecomponentofthissysteminsouthernNSW.Theiraimistoimproveandstrengthenthereliabilityofthisphaseandtheflow-onbenefitstothewholecroppingsystem.Simplyput,theyaredevelopingsuperior,reliablepulsevarietiescoupledwithagronomypackagestomaximiseproductionandprofit.

TheWaggaWaggateamoperatewithinPulseBreedingAustralia(PBA)withthegoaltoimproveadaptation,yield,seedquality,planttypeanddiseaseresistanceoffivewinterpulses—fieldpea,lupin(narrowleafedandalbus),chickpea(desiandkabuli),fababeanandlentil.Closelylinkedtothisbreedingandevaluationisanagronomyprojectdevelopingmanagementguidelinestoprovidetechnicalsupporttotheindustryandtoaccompanyreleaseofeachnewpulsevariety.ThisworkisrunincollaborationwithVictorianandSouthAustralianstategovernmentagenciesandoperatesunderthebannerof“SouthernPulseAgronomy”.

FundingfortheWaggaWaggacomponentsoftheseprogramsissharedbetweentheNSWStateGovernmentandtheGrainsResearchandDevelopmentCorporation.


sowingdoubleknocktreatmentsinlatersowncrops(twoseparateapplications,appliedaweekorsoapartoftwoknockdownherbicideswithdifferentmodeofactiongroups).Forexamplefieldpeas,withalatesowingwindowandearlyharvestingrelativetoweedmaturity,assistweedmanagementbygivinglongerperiodsforcontrolbeforesowingandcrop-toppingoptionspriortoharvest.

Pulsecropscanbeusedspecificallytotargetgrassweedsinthesystem,particularlyannualryegrassandwildoats.Awellplannedprogrambeginningpriortosowingthepulsecropandfinishingwithcrop-toppingandwindrowburninggreatlyreducestheweedseedbank.

Pulse inoculationEachpulsehasitsownspecificstrainofrhizobiawhichcoloniselegumerootstoformnodules.Therhizobiaconvertatmosphericgaseousnitrogen(N2)toplantavailableammonia(NH3).MostpulsesandtheirrhizobiahaveevolvedunderalkalinesoilenvironmentsandtheacidicsoilsofsouthernNSWcanbehostiletotheirsurvival,withnumbersdecliningrapidlyafterthepulsephase.Thereforeitisessentialtoinoculateateachnewpulsesowing.Naturalpopulationsofrhizobiadoexistforfieldpea,fababeanandlentil,butgenerallyresultinlesseffectivenodulationthaninoculumrhizobia.

Rhizobiainoculantsareavailableinanumberofformulations:• moistpeat,thetraditionalandmostcommonlyusedfromofinoculantinAustralia.Appliedasaslurry

directlytotheseedoradilutedandfilteredslurrydirectlyinjectedintotheseedingfurrow.• granular,madefrompeatorclay.Applieddirectlyintotheseedingfurrowusingaseparatebinonanairseeder.• liquid,awater-suspensionofrhizobia.Dilutedproductisusedfordirectinjectionofinoculantintotheseedingfurrowintomoistsoilonly,withinsixhoursofmixingwithwater.• freeze-driedpowder,aconcentratewhichisreconstitutedpriortoapplication.Allowsfordirectinjectionofinoculantintotheseedingfurroworcoatingtheseedimmediately(lessthanfivehours)priortosowingintomoistsoil.

Theprovenmethodofslurryinoculatingtheseedthroughanaugerjustpriortosowingstillappearstobethecheapestandmostreliablemethod.Alternativedeliverymethodsusingclay-basedgranulesorwaterinjectionthroughmicro-tubesareequallyeffectivebutconsiderablymoreexpensive.Theselattermethodsarebestusedwhenusingsowingfungicide-dressedseed,toseparatetherhizobiafromthechemical.

Growersareencouragedtoassessnodulationoftheirpulsecropsbyfollowingproceduresoutlinedonpage6.Effectiveandactivenodulesshouldbepinkinside.

Remember,NOnodulesequalsNOnitrogenfixationequalsPOORpulsecropyieldandNOnitrogenbenefitstofollowingcrops.

Keys to success with peat-based slurry inoculum• Slurrycoverageandrateareimportant.Rhizobiamustbeinsufficientnumbersandoneachseedtoeffectivelyformnodulesonallseedlings.Alwaysapplyatleasttherecommendedrate.Increasetherateifconditionsareadversetorhizobiasurvivale.g.marginalsoilmoisture.• RememberRhizobiaarelivingorganisms.• Followdirectionsonthepackageforstorageandhandling.Storeinacool,dryplace.• Adheretouse-bydates.• Mixwithcool,potable(rainordrinking)wateronly.DONOTmixwithotherchemicals.• Usecleanequipment.Avoidcontactwithchemicalssuchasseed-dressingfungicidesandherbicideresidueswhenmixingrhizobia.• Allowseedtodrysufficientlysothatitwillflowandnotbridgeintheaircart.

• Sowwithin24hoursofapplication.Keepseedascoolaspossibleandoutofdirectsunlight(useatarptocoverseed).

One method of inoculating pulse seed with peat-based slurry up an auger. The peat is mixed with cool water in a clean bucket then poured down a PVC tube.


Nitrogen fixationSymbioticnitrogenfixationisthemutuallybeneficialrelationshipbetweenthepulse(oranylegume)hostandRhizobiumbacteria.Thesebacteriacoloniserootsduringseedgerminationthenmultiplyrapidlytoformrootnoduleswithin4to10weeks.Theyaredependentonthehostplantforwater,nutrientsandenergy,butinreturnsupplytheplantwithnitrogen(ammonium,NH4

+)fordirectuptake.This“fixed”nitrogenisderivedfromtheenormousN2gasresourcesoftheearth’satmosphere(around80%)–thesamesourceusedbytheHaberandBoschprocesstomanufacturecompoundNfertiliser.

Pulses(andpasturelegumes)playanessentialroleinthenitrogensupplychainoffieldcrops,especiallysincenitrogenisoneofthemostlimitedplantnutrientsworldwide.Byfixingtheirownnitrogenduringgrowth,pulsesbecomeindependentofsoilmineralnitrogenandtherebyconserveorspareit.Whencombined,thesetwosources(fixedandsparedN)producelargeamountsofresidualnitrogenforfollowingcrops,boostingboththeir

grainyieldandgrainprotein.Comparedtomanufacturednitrogenfertiliser,biologicallyfixednitrogenis:• lessvolatile;• morestable;• “slowrelease”;• environmentallysustainable;• lessenergydemandingtomanufacture;• costeffective;• notsubjecttosupplyrestrictionsorpricefluctuations;and• notsubjecttothechallengesofapplicationtimingandutilisationefficiency.

Estimating fixed nitrogenTheamountofnitrogenfixedbyapulseisdirectlyproportionaltoitsgrowth,estimatedat20to25kgNfixedpertonneofdrymatter(DM)produced.

(80–

100

kg D

M/h

a/da

y)

Max

imum

crop

gro

wth

rate vegetative DM

Time

Grain

establishment

Dry matter production pattern of pulses. Towards the end of the growing season vegetative dry matter is remobilised into grain.


Total Fixed N (kg/ha) = Maximum DM (t/ha) x 25 (kg N/ t)

MaximumDM,hencemaximumfixedN,occursjustpriortophysiologicalmaturity,whenpodsarealmostfilledandstarttoyellow(seegraphonpage4).FarmerscanensuretheirpulseDMismaximisedbyadoptingbestmanagementpractices,especiallyinoculation,sowingtime,establishment,weedcontrolanddiseasemanagement.

AsimpletoolgrowerscanusetoestimateDMoftheirpulsecropistoapplyharvestindextotheiractual harvested grain yields.Harvestindex(HI)isthepercentageofgrainintotalabovegroundDM.ReportedHIinpulsesvariesfrom20%to50%.

Maximum DM (t/ha) = [grain yield (t/ha) x 100] ÷ HI %

GrowersneedtointerpretHIfromvisualassessmentofhowwelltheircrophasgrownduringspring,takingintoaccountmanagementfactorssuchasagronomy,weeds,pests,diseaseandenvironmentalfactors(e.g.frosting,lodging).Tall,bulkycropswithpoorpodsethavelowHI(lessthan25%),whileshortwellpoddedcropshavehighHI(greaterthan40%).

Estimating residual nitrogenTheresidualnitrogenbenefitcanbeestimatedbysubtractingnitrogenexportedingrainfromestimatesofnitrogenfixed(asdescribedabove).

Residual N (kg/ha) = total fixed N (kg/ha) – N removed in grain (kg/ha)

Estimatesofresidualnitrogenforchickpea,fieldpea,fababean,lentil,narrowleafedlupinandalbuslupinarepresentedinthetableonpage6.

Assumptions• Theseestimatesconsiderabovegroundbiomassonly.ApproximatelyonethirdoftotalfixedNisfoundbelowground.• Estimatesapplyonlyto“run-down”soilswithlowmineralN,forcingoptimumefficiencyofnitrogenfixation.Suchsoilsoccurlateinthecroppingcycle,thetraditionalpositionforpulsesinthecroppingsequence.• Effectivenodulationandoptimumrhizobianumbers.• PulseDMbecomesfullydecomposedovertimeandavailableplantammoniaandnitrateisfullyreleasedbybiologicalactivity.Environmentalconditionsinevitably

leadtolossesfromthesystemandaffecttherateofdecomposition.• 25kgNfixedpertonneDM.• Grainprotein:chickpea–19%;fieldpea,faba&lentil–24%;narrowleafedlupin–29%;albuslupin–34%.• Harvestindex(HI)generallyvariesfrom20to40%,butcanbeoutsidethisrange.

ConclusionFixedNwillalwaysbesubjecttoassumptionsandvariablesbeyondthegrower’scontrol.Therefore,thecalculationspresentedaboveareonlyestimatesofpotentialNfixed.Growerandadvisorexperienceisrequiredtorefineandmakepracticalsenseandapplicationtotheirspecificcircumstances.DifferencesinfixedNestimatedintheaccompanyingtablemaynotnecessarilyreflectactualsoilnitratelevelsatsowingofthefollowingcrop.

Inreality,thebestassessmentofthebenefitofpulsefixedNisinthegrainyieldandproteinresponseofthefollowingcrops,andinassociatedbenefitstosustainabilityandprofitabilityofthewholefarmingsystem.

Sincesubstantialresponsesincerealsafterallpulsesarewellknown,tacticallyitisbestforfarmerstofocuschoiceofpulsemoreonadaptation,performance,marketingandprofitabilityofthepulseintheirspecificfarmingsystemratherthanonpotentialtofixnitrogen.

Inoculation of faba bean here has failed and resulted in severe nitrogen deficiency and stunting. Note the circled plants which have successfully nodulated.


Assessing nodulationNoduleswillhavedevelopedandbeeasilylocatedfrom8to10weeksaftersowing.Noduleassessmentshouldoccuranytimefromthispointthroughtotheendofflowering.Forpracticalreasons,cropsaremoreeasilytraversedwhenplantsareyoung,anditisbesttodigwhenthesoilismoistandfriable,allowingittobeeasilycrumbledfromtheroots.

Selectfourtofiverepresentativesitesinthecrop.Ateachsitedigupfourindividualplantsfromseparatelocations,toadepthof10to15 cm,rememberingthemajorityofnodulesarefoundinthesurfacesoil.Carefullyshakeandremovesoilfromtheroots,leavingnodulesintact.Washingrootscanhelpbutisnotessential.

Wellnodulatedpulseswillhavenodulesinthecrownregion(wheretherootmeetstheshoot)oralongthetaprootandlateralroots,orinbothlocations.Slurryinoculatedseedgenerallyproducesnodulesinclustersaroundthecrown,whilewaterinjected,granularapplicationsornaturalbackgroundinfectionsresultinmorescatterednodules.

Toassessnodulation,usea0to5scaleandusethephotosonpages7to9asaguide.

Nodule scores0–1 inadequate2–3 adequate4–5 abundant

Estimates of above-ground nitrogen fixed (kg/ha) by a pulse crop based on harvest index (HI).

Grain Yield (t/ha)

Chickpea Field pea, faba bean, lentil

Narrow leafed lupin Albus lupin

HI 20% HI 30% HI 40% HI 20% HI 30% HI 40% HI 20% HI 30% HI 40% HI 20% HI 30% HI 40%0.40 38 21 13 35 18 10 31 15 6 28 12 30.60 57 32 19 52 27 14 47 22 10 42 17 50.80 76 42 26 69 36 19 63 30 13 56 23 61.00 95 53 32 87 45 24 79 37 16 71 29 81.20 114 64 39 104 54 29 94 44 19 85 35 101.40 132 74 45 121 63 34 110 52 23 99 41 111.60 151 85 51 139 72 39 126 59 26 113 46 131.80 170 95 58 156 81 43 141 66 29 127 52 152.00 189 106 64 173 90 48 157 74 32 141 58 162.20 208 116 71 191 99 53 173 81 35 155 64 182.40 227 127 77 208 108 58 189 89 39 169 69 192.60 246 138 83 225 117 63 204 96 42 184 75 212.80 265 148 90 242 126 67 220 103 45 198 81 233.00 284 159 96 260 135 72 236 111 48 212 87 243.20 303 169 103 277 144 77 252 118 52 226 93 263.40 322 180 109 294 153 82 267 126 55 240 98 283.60 341 191 116 312 162 87 283 133 58 254 104 293.80 359 201 122 329 171 92 299 140 61 268 110 314.00 378 212 128 346 180 96 314 148 64 282 116 32

NotesThefiguresinthistablearebasedonharvestindex(HI).GrowersneedtointerpretHIfromvisualassessment.Tall,bulkycropswithpoorpodsethavelowHI(lessthan25%);shortwellpoddedcropshavehighHI(greaterthan40%).Thefigurespresentedinthistableareaguideonlyandshouldbeusedassuch.FixedNestimateswillalwaysbesubjecttoassumptionsandvariablesbeyondthegrower’scontrol.Growerandadvisorexperienceisrequiredtorefineandmakepracticalsenseandapplicationtotheirspecificcircumstances.ThesefixedNestimatesmaynotnecessarilyreflectdifferentialsinsoilnitratelevelsatsowingofthefollowingcrop.Nfixedwillbeoptimisedbygrowingthepulsebestadaptedtotheenvironmentalconditionsusingsoundagronomicpractices.


Active nodules on the roots of a field pea plant.

Nodule scores for these chickpeas above were 0, 1, 2, 3, & 4 respectively (left to right). The two plants on the left have inadequate nodulation, and further investigation is required to identify the causes.

Nodule scores for these lupins above were 1, 1, 2 & 3 respectively (left to right). The two plants on the left have inadequate nodulation, and further investigation is required to identify the causes.

Large nodules on the roots of a faba bean plant.


A range of nodulation in faba beans. The plants would be scored 0, 3 and 5 from the left. The centre plant has adequate nodules, while the plant on the right has abundant nodules.

Field pea has quite a fibrous root system. This plant has adequate nodules (score 2). Note, nodules are spread down the root system as expected from liquid injection or granular inoculation.

Lupin root system and nodules look quite different to other pulse crops. These lupin plants are well nodulated (score 3, adequate). The nodulation concentrated on the taproot from seed applied slurry inoculation


Chickpea plant with inadequate (score 1) nodulation.

Faba bean plant with just adequate (score 2) nodulation. Faba bean plant with abundant (score 5) nodulation.

Chickpea plant with adequate (score 3) nodulation.


BackgroundGaryandHeatherDrewrunamixedfarmjustwestofBrocklesbyinthesouthernRiverina.Therearethreepartstothebusiness:1.aMerinowoolenterprise;2.aterminalsireprimelambenterprise;and3.acroppingenterprise(1100haeachyear).

TheDrewsmanagearangeofsoiltypesfromwell-drainingredloamstoheavierclayloams,whichhaveatendencytobecomewaterloggedduringwinter.

Farming systemIdeallytheDrewsgroweightyearsofcropfollowedbyfouryearsofalegumebasedpasture,howeversomepaddocksarecontinuouscrop,andafewsmallonesareonlysuitableforpastureandgrazing.

Alonghistoryoflegumebasedpasturesandbreakcropsmeansweedseedbanknumbersarelow,andweedmanagementdoesnotdrivethesystem.Forecastpriceandmarketavailabilityaremoreimportantconsiderations.

TheDrewscurrentcroppingsystemusesnarrowpointsfordirectdrillingwithautosteer.Managementofstubblevariesfrompaddocktopaddockandyeartoyear.Themajorityofwheatstubblesareburntinautumn,allowinghassle-freesowing,somecontrolofweedseedsandstubble-bornewheatdiseases.Ingeneral,stubbleisretainedin:• wheatinadryyear,whenstubbleloadislow;• wheatinagoodyearwhenitiscutlow,withtheharvesterspreadersdisengagedandstrawisbaledbehindtheheader;• canola,whichisharrowedpriortosowingtoallowtrashflowatseeding;• lupinsandfababeans.

Inthepastcoupleofyearspriceshaveinfluencedcropchoiceandthecanolaareahasincreasedattheexpenseofthepulses.

Canolaissometimesusedasthefirstcropafterpasture.Thisdecisionisoftenmadeifthepriceofcanolaishighorcropareasneedtobeadjustedandasaresult,weedmanagementinthefinalyearofpasturehasnotbeenadequate.

Pulses in the system

Crop sequenceThetypesofcropsgrownbytheDrewshaschangedovertheyears.Inthepasttheygrewafouryearsequenceofcerealcrops(wheat–wheat–barley–oats)andthenpasturewassown.Theinclusionofapulsecropinthesequenceextendedthecroprotationtosixyears(wheat–wheat–pulse–wheat–wheat–oats).Thepulsecropwastheonlybreakcropuntilcanolawasintroduced,whenthecropsequencebecamecontinuous(wheat-canola-wheat-pulserepeated)andnowwheatisonlygrownafterabreakcrop.Continuouscroppingwillbemaintaineduntilthepaddockneedsapasturephaseforweedmanagementorachangetofitinwiththerestofthefarm’sprogram.

Lupinsarethemainpulseandaregrowneachyear.Fababeansareonlysowniftheautumnbreakallowstimelysowing(seeMaking pulses work: sowing time,page12).Iftheraincomestoolateforfababeans,fieldpeasmaybegrowninstead.

VarietiesTheDrewsgrowLuxoralbuslupins,Mandelupnarrow-leafedlupinsandRanafababeans,whichmakeupthe10–25%pulsecomponentoftheannualcroppingprogram.

ThevarietyofeachpulsecropgrownisselectedpartlyonperformanceinNationalVarietyTesting(NVT)trials

Drew Farming

At a glanceLocationBrocklesby,southernRiverinaRainfallAnnual515 mmwinterdominantArea managed1500haMain soil typesRedclayloamstoheaviergreyclaysKey enterprisesCropping,primelambsandMerinowoolArea cropped1100ha(50%wheat,25–40%canola,10–25%pulses)Pulses grownNarrow-leafedlupins,albuslupinsandfababeans,occasionallyfieldpeas


whichtheDrewshavehostedfornearly20years.Inadditiondiseaseresistancetoreduceproductionrisk,andgraintypeisconsidered.IfthereisdemandbyanenduserforaspecificvarietythentheDrewswillconsiderthatvarietyiftheagronomypackagefits.

Weed management and disease breakPulsesprovideflexibilityinherbicideusageandthecerealdiseasebreakenablesthecropsequencetobecontinuous.TheDrewsdonotgrowanywheat-on-wheat,stronglybelievingthatdiversityisreducingtheirproductionriskinallcrops.Diversitymaycreatesomelogisticalchallengesbutitalsohasbenefitsforthecroppingsystemasawhole.

Making pulses workTheDrewsbelievetherearedifferentskilllevelsrequiredtogrowpulsessuccessfully(seetableonpage13).Fababeanstheyconsiderthemostadvancedpulsecroptheygrow.Garysays,“Managementhastobespoton!Youcannotmissanystepintheproductionprocessoryouwillfacesignificantdisappointment”.TheDrewsrecommendthatnewgrowerstalktoexperiencedgrowerstoavoidmakingmistakes.Garysays,“Theseissuesusedtobeaddressedatgrowermeetingsandfielddays,butnowtheyaretalkedaboutatthefootball!”

Planning and herbicidesTheDrewsplantheirpulsepaddocksatleastayearaheadandtakecarewiththeherbicidesusedintheyearpriortothepulse.Theregularuseofresidualherbicidesmeanscareneedstobetakenwithobservingandplanningforplant-backperiodswithin-cropandsummerfallowapplications.

SeedTheDrewsrecommendusingabeltelevatorratherthananaugertomovepulseseed.Thebeltisgentlerontheseed,minimisingcracking.

InoculationTheDrewsengineeredaliquidinoculationsystemtoavoidtheneedtotreatseedduringthebusysowingperiod,andtoimprovenodulation.Peatinoculumcontainedinastockingisaddedtoawatertankworking

BenefitsTheDrewsincludepulsesinthefarmingsystembecausethey:• extendherbicideusagebyaddingdiversitytothemodeofactiongroupsused;• arecheaptogrow;• donotreducethesoilnitrogenlevels;and• extendthecroppingrotation.

Likemanydedicatedpulsecropgrowers,GaryDrewfindsitdifficulttoranktheindividualbenefitsofincludingapulsecropinthesystem.Garysays,“Itisacombinationofallthebenefitsthatisthekey.Pulsestakethepressureoffthefertiliserusageandreducetheinputcosts.Havingmorecropsinthesystemalsoreduces,oravoids,theneedtogrowwheat-on-wheat”.

The Drews have hosted the National Variety Testing pulse trials for almost 20 years. They use the trial data and varietal characteristics such as disease resistance and seed type to select the best variety to grow.


similarlytoa‘tea-bag’,andapumpandsmalltubesdelivertheinoculumliquiddirectlyintotheseedfurrow.

Sowing timeSowingtimeisoneofthemostimportantandmanageableagronomicfactorsforgrowingpulsecrops.TheDrewswillonlysowfababeansintomoistsoil.Itmustbesufficientlymoistforthebeanstogerminateandestablish.Ifthiscannotbedoneby25Aprilthenfababeanswillnotbeplantedandlupinsorcanolawillbesubstituted.

LupinsaresownlaternowthantheDrewsdidinthepast.Theyfindthattheriskofhighlevelsofdisease,particularlysclerotinia,istoohighwhensownintomoistureinApril.LupinsaresowninearlytomidMayandwillbesowndryifnecessary.

Row spacingTheDrewsairseederiscurrentlysetupwith225 mm(9”)rowspacing.Cerealsandcanolaaresownat225 mmrowspace,butfababeansandsomelupincropsaresownat450 mm(18”)rowspace.Theyfeelthismaybetoowideandplantoupdatetheairseedertoa300 mmor12”rowspace.Thiswouldthensuitallthebreakcropsandthewheatwillbesownusingpairedrowstooptimiseyield.Thisresultsinlesstynes,bettertrashflowandthebestrowspaceforallthecropsgrown.

HarvestingWhentheDrewsgrowfieldpeastheyarethefirstcroptoharvest.Theymatureearlierthanothercropsandmustbeharvestedthedaytheyarereadytominimiseharvestlossesandcrackingofseed.

Fababeansaremoretoleranttodelayedharvestthanfieldpeasbutshouldbeharvestedsoonaftertheyarereadytoavoiddiscolouration.

Lupinsarethelastcroptoharvestandwillbedoneonadewymorningorafterashowerofrainifpossible,tominimiseharvestlossesoffthecutter-bar.

StorageTheDrewsstorepulsesonfarm,butmovehumanconsumptionproductassoonaspossible,withtheshortesttimebetweenharvestanddelivery,andminimalhandlingbeinganadvantage.Theyaremorewillingtostorelupinsonfarmforlongerperiods.Therecanbegoodvalueinstoringthem,achievingabetterpricethanatharvest.Lupinsareeasytostoreandmaintainqualityforyears.

TheDrewsuseabeltelevatortomoveallpulses(ratherthananauger)andstorelupinsinuprightsilosandingrainsilo-bags.

MarketingTheDrewsaimtosellfababeansintothehumanconsumptionmarket.Thisiscontrolledbysupplyanddemandfactors–whenthecropislargeritishardertofindamarketforthebeans,andwhensupplyistightbothmarketaccessandpriceimprove.Fababeansarealsoastockfeedmarketfriendlyproduct.

TheDrewsdonotuseanyhedgingproductsorbrokerstohelpwithmarketingpulsesastheyareasmallpartoftheprogram.

Thetriggerpriceforsellingpulsecropsvariesfromseason-to-season,buttheyhaveagoodideaofcostofproductiondevelopedfrom15yearsofdetailedrecords.Lupinsarethecheapesttogrowatapproximately$250perha,whilefababeanscostaboutthesameascanolaat$400to$500perha,mainlyduetohighseedcosts,herbicidesandfungicides.

Pulse industry challengesLikemanypulsecropgrowers,theDrewsbelievethatsellingtheproductisthebiggestissuefacingtheindustry.Itishardtofindanend-userwillingtopayahighenoughpriceonaconsistentbasistomakethemeconomicaltogrow.Forexample,despitethefantasticfeedqualitiesoflupins,theyarestillcompetingagainstotherproteinsources.

Garysays,“Itisachallengeforthegrower,becauseitisveryhardtoplantacropwithoutknowingyouaregoingtohaveahomeforitattheendoftheseason.Ontheotherhandthemarketrequiresconsistentandsignificant

The Drews currently use 450 mm or 18” row spacing for pulse crops.


supply,whichisnotgoingtocomeifthecommoditypriceistoolow”.

“Themajorityofgrowersaretryingtokeeptheirsystemsimple.Ifapulsecroprequiresmorestringentmanagementatahighercostandproductionrisk,thenthereneedstobegreaterfinancialrewardsatthefarmgate”.

The futurePulseproduction,likeallfarmingenterprises,isaneverdevelopingprocess.TheDrewswillcontinuetoadapttheirproductionsystemtobestsuittheseasonsandoptimiseprofitwhilelookingaftertheland.

TheDrewsareproudofthequalityofthecropstheyproduceandwouldliketoseeAustralianpulsespromotedmoreashumanfoodratherthanaproteinsourceforstockfeedrations.Theuseoftheclean,greenstoryandthedevelopmentandpromotionoflupinsasafoodneedstobepushedinthedomesticAustralianmarketaswellasinexportmarkets.

The Drews recommend growers new to pulses start with a ‘beginner’ level crop and talk to experienced growers and advisers to avoid making mistakes.

Experience required

Crop Reasons

Beginner Narrow-leafedlupins

BestforfirsttimegrowersFewthingscangowrongEasiestpulsetomarket

Intermediate Albuslupins Largeseedsize.Checkmachinerycanhandleit(hoses,boots,andgrouper)Targetinghumanfood-insectmanagementpriortomaturityimportant

Advanced FababeansFieldpeas

Largeseedsize.Checkmachinerycanhandleit(hoses,boots,andgrouper)Maybetargetinghumanfood-insectmanagementpriortomaturityimportantFababeansrequirefoliardiseasemanagementprogram(fungicideapplication)Fieldpeasrequirepeaweevilmanagement


BackgroundTheGrahamfamilybusinessincludesGregandAnnGrahamandtheirtwosonsanddaughters-in-law,DigbyandJodyandDenzilandMichelle.Thethreeindividualfarmsareallmanagedandrunasoneoperation.TheGrahamshaveasizablewintercroppingprogram(60%cereals,20-25%canolaand15-20%pulses)andbreedfirstcrossewes,sellingthemaleportionandcullsintotheprimelambmarket.

Farming systemTheGrahamsrunamixedfarmingsystemdominatedbyannualwintercroppingandincorporatingsheepandpasture.Theircroppingsystemisstubbleretentionanddirectdrill,exceptinyearswhenlimeisappliedandstubbleisburntandlimeincorporated.Alegumepasturephaseofapproximatelyfiveyearsisincludedafteraboutsevenyearscrop,dependingonseasonsandmarkets.

Pulses in the systemTheGrahamsgrowamixofpulsesasthisenablesdiversificationofmarketingandstorage.

Crop sequenceTheGrahamshavealwayshadpulsesintheirfarmingsystem.Allthepulsesaregrownforgrainandthereisnobrownmanuring.Cropsequenceisoftenaffectedbythesuccessofthepulsecrop.However,atypicalcropsequencemaybecanola–wheat–wheat–barley–pulse–wheat–canola.

Thebusinessrunsafourtofiveyearlegumepasture(lucerneorlucerne/clovermixes)phasesimilarinarea

tothecanolaprogram.Thisallowsbetween20to25%oftheareatoenterthecroppingphaseattheendofthecycle.Thenitrogenfromthelucernetendstobecomeavailableoveracoupleofyearswhereasthenitrogenfromthepulsesbreaksdownfasteranddoesnotseemtolastaslong.

Thepasturesaremanagedasacroptokeepweedsoutandtomaximiseproduction.Thepasturesarekeptasgrassfreeaspossibleinthetwoyearspriortoenteringthecroppingphase.Importantly,whereeverpossible,herbicidesusedinthepasturephasearefromdifferentchemicalmodeofactiongroupsthanthoseusedinthecroppingphase.

Canolaisusuallychosenasthefirstcropinthesequence.ThisgivestheGrahams:1.anextrayeartomanagegrassesinthepaddockbefore

acerealcropisintroduced;and2.theopportunitytoutiliseaccumulatednitrogenand

“runthenitrogendown”abitsothatthepaddockisnot“toohot”forthecerealsindrieryears.

VarietiesVarietyisselectedaccordingtomarketavailability,easeofharvestandeaseoravailabilityofstorage(seetableopposite).

TheGrahamsfeelthat,inthemajorityofcases,thereshouldbemuchgreaterconsiderationgivenbefore

Graham Farming

At a glanceLocationCoolamonandMethuldistrict,easternRiverinaRainfallAnnual400 mmwinterdominantSoil type80%redbrownearthsrunningintolightergraniteareaorheaviergreyclaysArea managedSeveralindividualfarms(80%cropping;20%grazedlegumepasture)Key enterprisesAnnualwintercropsandbreedingfirstcrossewes/primelambmarketArea cropped60%cereals,20-25%canola,15-20%pulses)Pulses grownNarrow-leafedlupins,fieldpeas,fababeans

Denzil (left) and Digby Graham grow faba beans on their heavier grey clay soils where they are well suited.


varietiesarereleasedtoensuretheyaresufficientlyimprovedoncurrentvarieties.Yieldanddesiredtraitsmustbesignificantlyimprovedtowarrantreleaseandtheeffortandcostsassociatedwithchangeover.

Weed managementPulsesareusedasanopportunitytodiversifytheGrahams’weedmanagementprogram.Anintegratedapproachuses:• aswidearangeofherbicidemodeofactiongroupsaspossible• crop-toppingtostopweedseedsetinfieldpeas• thebestpossiblesowingconditionsandthehighestrealisticseedingratestooptimisecropcompetition.

Problemweedpaddocksgointopasture.

Making pulses work

AgronomyTherehavebeenmanytrialsontheGrahamsfarmsovertheyearsandtheresultsenabletheirmanagementpracticestobefinetuned.YieldmonitorsandGPShavebecomeinvaluabletoolstomonitorandchecktheirmanagementdecisions.

TheGrahamsselectpaddocksforpulsesaccordingto:• nitrogenandweedstatus,pulsesareusuallysownintomorerundownpaddocks;• soiltype,forexamplefababeansaresownontheheaviersoilsandlupinsonthelightersoils;and• accessandsuitabilitytogetontoandaroundthepaddockwithaboomspray.

TheGrahamshavealwaysendeavouredtokeepuptodatewiththelatestmanagementissuesandtheyfeelveryconfidentincludingpulsesintheircroppingprogram.Experience,appropriateagronomyandpastsuccessesreinforcetheirstrategiesandgivethemconfidencethattheyaredoingtherightthingintheirbusiness.

Sowing timeAsasowingmanagementaid,theGrahamscutstrawlowatharvestandretainstubble.Pulsesfitwellintothissystem,forexamplereducingtheincidenceofbrownleafspotinlupins.Thewidesowingwindowsofferedbytheirdiversifiedcroppingprogrammeanssowingclashesareminimisedandyieldandprofitoptimisedformostcrops.

NodulationTheGrahamsrealisetheimportanceofassessingnodulationontheirpulseplantsandareconfidentin

BenefitsTheGrahamsfindanumberofbenefitsfromhavingpulsesintheircroppingprogram.Theseincludeproviding:1.acerealdiseasebreakduringthecropsequence;2.abroaderrangeofweedcontroloptions;3.nitrogenbenefits;4.anextendedsowingwindow;5.theabilitytooptimisemachinery;6.asourceofstockfeede.g.lupins7.flexibilityofsellingifthereisgoodstoragee.g.lupins;8.diversificationofmarkets;and9.stubblesforgrazinge.g.sheepadjustwelltograzing

fababeanstubbleandunharvestedseed.

Adoption of pulse crops and varieties by the Grahams has been a continuous evolution driven primarily by seasonal conditions and market availability.

Crop Year Varieties Reasons included in systemLupins,narrow-leafed

1970s CurrentlyMandelup

Thetraditionalpulsecropstillgrown.

Chickpea Amethyst Adoptedinlate1980sbrieflyFababeans 1995-1997

2011

Barkool

Fiesta

Stoppedgrowingfababeansduetodroughtyears

Reintroducedtosystemduetonewmarketingopportunitiescreatedbyalocalgraintrader.Fababeanmarketshavetraditionallybeenhardtofind.

Fieldpeas 2000 Excell(blue) Abigimprovementinfieldpeasvarietieshasbeenseenoverthelast10years.Growthhabiterectratherthancrawlingalongthegroundandimproveddiseaseresistance.


doingthis.Theybelievethatinformationrelatingtosuccessfulpulseinoculationisreadilyavailableandknowthatitiscertainlyworththeefforttoinoculatetheseedproperly.

Disease managementOvertheyears,theGrahamshavedevelopedagoodunderstandingandknowledgeofpulsediseasesandtheirmanagement.

HarvestingTheGrahamshavetheexperienceandthemachinerytoharvestpulses.Rotaryheadersareusedandanygrainhandlingissueshavebeenaddressed.Sometimestherecanbeclashesatharvesttimeresultinginregretsandpenaltiesiflate!

StorageAllpulsesarestoredonfarmusingbulkshedandsiloswithbeltelevatorsinandoutofthestoragefacilities.Handlingofpulsesiscriticalthroughouttheproductionphase,includingon-timeharvestwiththeheadersettominimiseseedcracking,andgentleseedhandling.TheGrahamshandlingsystemhasevolvedandadaptedovermanyyears.Storingthepulsesonfarmmeansthattheyareabletoholdoffsellingthepulsesuntilpricesarefavourable,particularlylupins.Fababeansaretheexceptionduetotheirdiscolourationinstorage.

Keys to successTheGrahamsfocusondoingeverythingrightinastep-by-stepfashioni.e.planningandtimingofoperationsiscriticalandunforgiving.Theyknowthatifanythingisoverlookeditisboundto‘biteyou’later!

Theirsuccesseswithpulsesarelargelydueto:• ensuringhighlevelsofseedpurityandgermination;• realisingthatthetimelinessofoperationiscritical;• seekingadvicewhenrequiredasthereisnosubstituteforexperiencewhenitcomestogrowingpulses;and• followingtheagronomyandwelldocumentedformulaeforpulseproduction(includingmanagementthataddressesplantpopulation,weedcontrol,inoculation,possiblecontaminationofthespraycart,diseaseandinsectcontrol).

MarketingTheGrahamsbelievethatitisessentialtohaveonfarmstorage.Pulsescanbestoredandusedtoregulatecashflowastheycanbesoldthroughouttheyear.Theyactivelyseekseedmarketsthroughbrokersandfocusonproducingthebestqualitypulses,targetinghumanconsumptionmarketswithpricepremiums.Theaimisto

workoffaminimumpricebutmaintainsomeflexibilitydependingoncashflowandstoragedemands.

Pulse industry challenges

MarketingTheGrahamshavefoundthattheavailabilityofpricingandmarketinformationforpulsesisinadequatecomparedtowheatandcanola.Theywouldalsoliketoseeimprovedmarketcompetitionandknowthatthiswillonlycomeaboutwithincreasedproduction,newmarketingopportunitiesandanincreaseinbuyernumbers.

Seed costsTheGrahamsrealisethattherearechallengesassociatedwithstartingtogrowpulsesorchangingvarieties,forexamplebulkingupenoughseed.Thecostofseedcanoftenbeprohibitiveandanimpedimenttorapidadoption.

The Grahams always inoculate their pulse seed just prior to sowing and assess nodulation. Large and numerous nodules are essential to the success of each pulse crop.


The futureTheGrahamswillcontinuetoincludepulsesintheircroppingprogram.Theyhaverecentlybecomeinvolvedwithon-farmevaluationsofnewfieldpeaandlentilvarietiesascollaboratorswithNSWDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries,WaggaWagga.

The Grahams place a priority on harvesting Excell blue field peas to minimise weather damage and bleaching.

The Grahams have recently become collaborators with NSW DPI Wagga Wagga hosting on-farm lentil evaluation trials.

A field pea evaluation trial at early flowering stage at the Grahams farm. These trials are part of the National Pulse Breeding Australia program.


BackgroundTheEckermannfamilymovedfromSouthAustraliatotheirfarmbetweenYendaandRankinsSpringsinthe1980s,bringingwiththemfieldpeaseedandexperienceofgrowingpulsecrops.

NickandhiswifeTrisha,andhisparentsKymandJudynowmanage11,000haofwintercroppingwithastrongrelianceonpulsecropstokeepthesystemsustainable.

TheEckermannshavebeenintegraltothedevelopmentofdrylandpulseproductionintheshortseasonenvironmentsofsouthernNSW.TheyhavehostedextensivepulsecroptrialsandfielddaysformanyyearsinpartnershipwithNSWDepartmentofPrimaryIndustriesandtheCentralWestFarmingSystemsgroup.

Farming systemTheEckermannsweretraditionalwheatandsheepfarmersusinglongfallowandconventionalcultivation.Agradualtransitionoverthepast20orsoyearshasresultedintheiroperationbeing100%croppingtoday.Alltheircountryisarablewithnospecialisedareassuitedonlytograzingsotheycurrentlyseenoplaceforlivestock.

Theirsystemisno-till,fullstubbleretention,with30 cmrowspacing.TheyuseRTK±2cmGPSautosteerforalloperationsbutdonotrunacontrolledtrafficsystem.Theyremainopenandflexiblewiththeirsystemandwillusestrategicwindrow-burningasaweedcontroltactic.

InthepasttheEckermannshavegrownlucernemanagedasacrop.Annualpasturesaretooriskyastheyrelyonsignificantearlyautumnrainwhichisarareoccurrenceinthewesterncroppingbelt.Pasturesalsocompromiselong-termweedmanagement,particularlyspinyburrgrass.

Livestockexposepaddockstowinderosionoversummer,particularlyfieldpeastubbles.Whenleftalonefieldpeapaddocksdonotblow,particularlywhentheresidueismixedwithremnantwheatstubble.

Pulses in the systemTheEckermannsgrowpulsecropsasanintegralcomponentoftheir100%croppingsystem.Theyarefindingthatathreeyeargrossmarginincludingapulsecropmakeswheatandcanolayieldsmorestableandthewholesystemmoresustainable–theyhavetobeincludedtomakeitwork.

Pulsesalsostandaloneasapositivegrossmarginandcropintheirownright.Thepersistencewithasoundrotationandmorediversityisreallypayingoff,especiallyinthecanolayields.Thebestcanolacropsaregrownonawheatstubblefollowingapulse.

Eckermann Farming

At a glanceLocationRankinsSprings,northernRiverinaRainfallAnnualaverage382 mm,ApriltoOctober225 mmSoil typeRedclayloam-rangesfromsandyloamridgesandredclayloamcountryinbetweenArea managed11,000haKey enterprisesAnnualwintercroppingArea cropped:11,000ha(50%wheat,20–25%canola,25–30%pulsesandbrownmanure)Pulses grownNarrow-leafedlupins,chickpeas,fieldpeasandvetch

Nick and Trisha Eckermann with their children Will and Keira, in a magnificent crop of Sturt field peas.


Crop sequenceThereisnosetrotation,ratheraroughcropsequence:wheat–canola–wheat–pulse–wheat–vetch.Theproportionofeachcropremainsflexibledependingonphaseoftherotation,pricesandseason.Thekeyruleforsuccessinpulsecropsisnottogrowthesamepulseinthesamepaddockwithinafiveyearperiod.

Inweedysituations,adoublebreakfromwheatisused(e.g.pulseorvetchthencanola).Sometimesbarleyisaddedtothesystem,followingwheatiftheautumnbreakislate.Wheatisbyfarthepreferredcerealasfeedbarleymarketsarenotasstrongnorstableaswheat,anditisnotaslucrativeasitwasinthepast.

Species and varietyTheEckermannsgrowfieldpeas,narrowleafedlupins,chickpeasandvetchforbrownmanure.Theydonotgrowalbuslupinsprimarilybecausethemarketistoovariable.Theidealproportionofeachpulsecropislistedinthetableonpage20.

Theactualratiodependson:• soiltypeandterraininthepaddocke.g.lupinsonsandysoils;brownmanurevetchonheavierrockycountry;• moisturecontentinthesoilprofile;• timingoftheopeningautumnrains;

• previouscrophistory,particularlythelastpulsecrops;and• projectedpulseprice,particularlywhendecidingontheinclusionofchickpeas.

Making pulses work

Paddock preparationPaddockpreparationforpulsesisessentialtoavoidpickingupsticks,rocksandclodsofdirtduringharvestastheyareallharvestedwiththecutterbarclosetotheground.Preparationincludesremovingstickspriortosowingandrollingtolevelthesurfaceandpushdownrocksaftersowingfieldpeas.

InoculationItiscriticaltoinoculatetheseedofeachpulsejustpriortosowing.Themosteffectiveandcheapestapplicationmethodistoapplyaslurryofpeatinoculumandwatertotheseedasitisbeingaugered.TheEckermannshavetriedgranularformsofinoculumthroughathirdboxontheairseeder,butdeliveryandcalibrationispoorduetotheunevennessofthegranulesanditisthreetofourtimesthecostofpeat.

Seeding rateTheEckermannsalwaysuserecommendedseedingratesandadvisenottoskimp.Lowratesreducecompetitionwithweedsandcancauseproblemswithevennessofcropmaturityandcropfeedingintotheharvester.

Sowing timeSowingtimeofeachcropiscriticalsothereneedstobeflexibilityinthesystem.Ifbreakingautumnrainsareearlyorthesoilmoistureprofileisfullthelupinareawillincrease.After10Maylupinswillbesubstitutedwithvetchbrownmanureorfieldpeas,whilestillkeepingthesysteminbalance.TheEckermannsunderstandyoucanonlydowhattheseasonallowsyou.

Chickpeaspresentaproblemastheirpreferredsowingtimeis5to20May,whichiswhenyouaretryingtosowwheat.Theyarealsoonlygrownifthepriceoutlookispromisingandthesoilmoistureprofileisfull.

FieldpeasaremoreforgivingbuttheEckermannsliketohavetheminafewdayseithersideof20May.

Iftheseasonresultsinlatesowingthentheaimistogrowacropwiththemaximumdrymatterproductiontooptimisethenitrogenbenefitifyieldpotentialislow.

PhosphorusPulsesprovideanopportunitytoreducephosphorusratesbuttheEckermannsbelieveitisimportantto

BenefitsTheEckermannsbelievetherearenumerousbenefitstogrowingpulsecropsandtheyarenowastrategiccomponentoftheirlongtermsystem.Pulses:• makemoneyintheirownright• areanatural“ground-sweetener”orsoilimprover• areamoresustainablewayoffarmingeconomically• assistgrassweedcontrol,particularlywildoats• breakthewheatdiseasecycle,reducingthelikelihoodandseverityofwheatdiseasesoccurring• adddiversitytothesystemmanagingpriceandproductionrisk• reducetheneedforandsometimesreplacebagnitrogenfertiliser• uselessmoisturethanacerealorcanolacrop,conservingitforthefollowingwheat,particularlyfieldpeas• storewellandeasilywithoutdeteriorationandinsectpestproblems• haveflow-onbenefitsintoasecondyearafterthepulsecropinsomeseasons


increasethephosphorusrateappliedinthefollowingcroptomaintainlevels.

Lupinsandchickpeasaresownwith30 kgMAP/habelowtheseedwithatynedseeder.

Fieldpeasaresownwith50–60kgMAP,belowtheseedwhensownwiththetynedseeder,butwhentheyaresownwiththediscseedertheMAPgoeswiththeseed.PlacementofMAPandassociatedseedlingdamageseemstobelesscriticalinfieldpeascomparedtolupinsandchickpeas.

Weed managementTheEckermannsinsistyouhavetogetweedmanagementright.Thepoorcompetitivenatureofthecropsmeansthatanyweedthatisallowedtosetseedbecomesaproblem.

Weedmanagementinpulsecropshasimprovedbutitisstillessentialtoplanwelltogetitright.Theeffectivenessofherbicidesandriskofcropdamageisdependantonfactorssuchassoiltype,soilpH,sowingequipmentandrainfallsoplanning,goodrecordkeepingandgoodadviceisessential.

HarvestingThekeystosuccessfullyharvestpulsecropsistoharvestassoonastheyareready,at14%moisture.

Fieldpeashavetoppriorityandarestartedasearlyaspossible.Ifyoucanavoidrainfallonthemoncetheyarematureitismuchcleanerformachineryandoptimisesqualitywithminimallosses.Lupinsarealowerpriority

astheyclashwithwheatharvestandaremoreresilientthantheotherpulses.

TheEckermannsbudgettodesiccatehalfthefieldpeacroptobringharvestforwardafewdaystoassistwithharvestlogisticsandgetthebonusofcontrollinganylate-germinatingryegrassplants.

TheEckermannswindrowaportionoftheirvetchseedcroptomanageharvestlogisticsandminimiselossesfromshatteringatthecutter-bar.

TheEckermannsdonothaveanyspecialistharvestorgrainhandlingequipment.Theonlymodificationtheyhavemadeistheadditionofacross-augertotheirharvestersdraperfronttoimprovethefeedoffieldpeasinparticular.

BeltaugersmayreducecrackingofpulsesbuttheEckermannsfindthatiftheykeeptheaugerprettyfullandtrynottoaugerthepulsestoomanytimes,damagecanbeminimised.

Storage and marketingStoringpulsecropsisquitestraightforwardwithouttheissueofstoredgraininsects.TheEckermannsstoretheirpulsecropsinuprightsilosorgrainsilo-bagsandhavenoissues.

Marketingontheotherhandisafulltimejob.YouhavetobepreparedtoselltoanywherethereisdemandinAustraliafordomesticorexportuse.Thismaymeansendingloads800kmormoretosecureasale.

Current pulse crop and varieties grown by the Eckermanns

Crop Proportion Current Varieties Reasons included in system.Fieldpeas 35% Sturt,Oura,Percy,

ParafieldGrownonmostcountryexceptrockyareas.

Vetch 30% Morava,Rasina Includedasabrownmanurecroptoaddsoilnitrogenandtoincreasethelengthofthesummerfallow(bystartingitinmidspring,muchearlierthanwhenacropistakenthroughtoharvest)forsoilmoistureconservation.Theadvantagesofusingvetchcomparedtootherlegumesorpulsesareitslowseedingrateanditsverycompetitivegrowthwhichmakesthephaseagoodweedcontroltactic.Aportionofthecropisgrownthoughtomaturityandharvestedforseedforsubsequentyears.

Chickpea 20% GEN509,Boundary Onlygrowninseasonsthatstartwithafullprofileofsoilmoistureatsowing.

Lupin,narrow-leafed

15% Jenabillup,(shattersabit)Mandelup,primarilybecauseofitstolerancetometrabuzin

Grownonthesandiercountrywheretheyarewelladapted.Theyalsotendtoperformrelativelywellinatoughyear.Thelupinsareincludedinthesystemprimarilytoaddnitrogen.


Thereareonlyafewpulsebuyerscomparedtothelargenumberofwheatbuyersanditisimportanttodevelopyourowncontactsandbuildrelationshipsovertime.TheEckermannsfinditcanbedifficulttocompetewithVictorianandSouthAustraliansupply.

Keys to successTheEckermannskeystosuccessare:• adoptacropsequencecoveringthewholefarm;• planwellinadvancewithcarefulpaddockselection;• manageweedsandplanmanagementallthewaythrough.Treatthepulseslikeyouwouldyourbestwheatcrop.Secondratemanagementwillresultinsecondratepulsecrops;• monitorthecropsregularlyandprofessionally;and• avoidherbicideresiduedamagetopulses.Select,planandrotateherbicidestakingintoaccounttypeofherbicide,plant-backperiods,soiltypeandexpectedrainfall.


VarietiesLupinyieldsappeartobestagnant.Varietieshavenotimprovedinyieldoverthepast20years.

Chickpeavarietiesarecontinuallygettingbetterforresistancetodisease,increasedyieldandimprovedseedtype.

Fieldpeavarietieshaveseensomemajorchanges.TheKaspatypemarkedabigchangeinplanttypeandshatteringresistancebuttheyneededtobesownearlierthanotherfieldpeavarietiesduetolatenessofflowering.ThismeantKaspawasnotsuitedtodryseasons.

TheEckermannsbelievefieldpeavarietiesshouldnotbereleasedwithoutresistancetobacterialblight,adiseasewhichcanresultin100%yieldloss.

Varietiesneedadistinctandmarkedadvantagebeforetheyareconsideredforrelease.

Harvestabilityisimportantfornewvarietiesbutnotahighpriority.TheEckermannscanhandlescramblingfieldpeascropsbutfindOura(asemi-leaflesserecttype)tobeeasytoharvest.

Advice and supportThereisalotofinformationoutthere,butnotalotofhands-onexperienceamongagronomists.Thereisaneedtoregularlytrainthenetworkofagronomiststogetthemuptospeed.

IngeneraltheindustryinsouthernNSWrequiresmoresupportandinformationon:• herbicidesandfungicides–whichonescanandcannotbeusedandthebesttimingofapplicationforefficacyandcropsafety;• marketing–itcanbechallengingtofindmarketsandpricinginformation;and• chickpeaagronomyspecifictosouthernNSWascurrentinformationandexperienceisfromnorthernNSWwherediseasecanreactquitedifferently.

Grower experienceTheemergenceandevolutionofpulsecroppinginthisareahasbeenslowovertimeandwithlotsofexperiences,bothgoodandbad.Noamountoftechnicalinformationcanbeatexperience.

MarketingOneofthebigchallengesthathasalwaysfacedpulsecropgrowersinsouthernNSWismarketing.Thereisaneedtoaccumulatelargertonnagesofeachcroptoenableseriousmarketing,includingexports.Traditionallytherearelotsofsmallparcelstradedwhichrestrictseriouscompetition.

Duetothisgeographicallyfracturednatureofsupplyandthelackofcontinuityfromseasontoseasonthereareno

Judy and Kym Eckermann have hosted pulse trials and field days for many years.


bigtradersintheregion,andnoinfrastructurehasbeendevelopedspecificallyforhandlingandstoringpulses.

The futureTheEckermannsarecomingtorealisethatlocallythereisahugedomesticstock-feedmarketforpulses.Pulsesarealwaysincompetitionwithsoymealandcanolamealasaproteinsourceinintensivelivestockfeedrationsbutpulsesareoftenpreferred.Thelocalpoultryindustryiskeentousepulsesintherationandinrecentyearshavebeenstrongbuyersinthemarketandtakedeliveriesduringharvest.Formanygrowersdeliverystraightofftheheaderisabigpositive.Aftermanyyearsoftargetingpremiumqualityhumanfoodmarketswithoutgettingajustifiablyhighpremiumprice,stock-feedmarketsarebecomingareliableoption.Thelocalfieldpeacropisnowproducingreliabletonnagesotheycanbeincludedasaregularcomponentinfeedrations.Growersalwayshavetheoptionofstoringpulsesifpricesarenotacceptable.

Nick Eckermann speaking to a large group of growers and advisors at the annual pulse crop field day they host at Rankins Springs each spring.

The annual pulse crop field day hosted by the Eckermann family, NSW DPI and Central West Farming Systems has attracted large numbers of growers and advisors from a large area of the cropping belt for almost 20 years.


BackgroundMurrayandEmmaScholzmanageanaggregationof1670haonundulatingtohillycountry,includingsomesteeprockyoutcrops,eastofCulcairn.Murray’sparents,BarryandElaine,areofficially‘retired’butstillhelpoutatbusytimes.MarkHaslerisalong-timeemployeeworkingwithMurrayandoneofthekeystotheirsuccess.

TheScholz’sbusinessissplitintotwoenterprises:1.Continuouscropping(1200 haissowntoannualcrops

includingwheat,canolaandWonganarrow-leafedlupins);and

2.Beefcattle(countrythatisunsuitableforcropping,e.g.groundthatissteeporhasrockyoutcrops,isusedforgrazingaherdof200Shorthorncows).

Farming systemTheScholz’swereearlyadoptersofno-tillfarmingandnowuse2 cmRTKautosteerforalloperations.Theyinter-rowsowbutusuallyhavetoburncerealstubblesothatsowingequipmentcangetthroughwithoutblockages.Stubbleisburntaslateaspracticalintheseason.Maintainingthisgroundcoverisessentialto:• minimiseerosionrisks,particularlyonthesteepercountry;and• retainsoilmoisturestoredoverthesummer-autumnperiod.

Lupinorcanolastubblesarenotburntbutthepracticeofwindrow-burning(removingstrawspreadersfromtheheadertoplaceallchaffandstrawinawindrow,andthenburningthem)inthesecropsasanintegratedweedmanagementtactichasrecentlybeenadopted.

Barrygrewalbuslupinsabout30yearsagobutexperiencehasshownalbuslupinsarenotsuitedtotheiracidsoilsthathaveatendencytogetabitwetduringwinter.TheScholz’scannotincludefieldpeasinthecropsequenceastherearerockspresentinmanypaddocks.Fieldpeasareharvestedwiththecutter-barveryclosetothegroundsurfacesopaddockswithrocksareunsuitable.

Lupins in the system

Crop sequenceThenormalcropsequenceislupins-wheat-canola-wheat-wheatthenbacktolupins.Thatissometimesmodifiedduetosoilnitrogenlevelsorifthereisanissuewithweeds,inparticularannualryegrass.Ifthereisaryegrassproblemthethirdwheatisomittedandcanolaorlupins

willbegrown(lupin–wheat–canola–wheat–lupinorcanola).Ifweednumbersarelowandnitrogenlevelsarenotrundown,anextracanola-wheatmaybegrownpriortogoingbacktolupins(lupin–wheat–canola–wheat–wheat–canola–wheat).Individualcommoditypricehaslittleimpactonthecropsequenceortheratioofcropsgrown.Murraybelievesifyouchasecommoditypricesyouendupbackedintoacorneratsomestage.

VarietyTheScholz’shavebeengrowingnarrow-leafedlupinsforwellover30years.Overthistimetheyhaveadoptedvarietiesthathavedemonstratedincreasedyieldandimproveddisease(mainlybrownleafspot)resistance.Narrow-leafedlupinscanbeupto25%oftheircroppingprogramandthevarietyWongaiscurrentlysown.

Weed managementTheScholz’sareexperimentingwithbrownmanuringlupinswiththeaimofreducingtheweedseedsetofannualryegrass(whichhadescapedin-cropherbicides),wildradishandwildoats.Theyaremakinghalf-paddockcomparisonsoflupinbrownmanuringcomparedtolupinsharvestedforgrain.Theyuseyieldmappingtocompareyields,andalsoassessweednumbersandtheeconomics.Theyfollowthesepaddocksforanumberofyearstodeterminetheimpactofthepulseonfuturecropsandweedpopulations.

Scholz Farming

At a glanceLocationCulcairn,easternRiverinaRainfallAnnualaverage600mm;averageApriltoOctober410mmSoil typeRedandyellowsodosols(haveastrongtexturecontrastbetweensurface(A)horizonsandsubsoil(B)horizonsandthesubsoilhorizonsaresodic)Area managed1670haKey enterprisesAnnualwintercropsandbeefcattleArea cropped1200ha(60%wheat,30%canola,10%lupins)Pulse crop grownNarrow-leafedlupins


TheScholz’sarealsotestinggrowingcanolaonlupinstubbles,bothbrownmanuredandharvestedgraincrops.Inconsultationwiththeiragronomist,theyaretrialingthepracticeofadoublebreakcropwhichisbecomingmorecommonacrossthesouthernAustraliancroppingbelt.Theirideaisthatthecanolacanutilisethenitrogenfromthelupinsbetterthanwheat,anditalsogivesthemanotheryeartoreallyreducetheseedbankofannualryegrass.Thisdecisionwasnotdrivenbythehistoricallyhighcanolaprice,buttheymaynothavedoneitifcanolawasbelow$420/ton-farm.

Making lupins work

AgronomyWhenitcomestolupinagronomy,Murraysays,“Thereisnotmuchreally”.Theplanissimple:inoculate,sow,manageweedsthenseewhatisthereatharvest.Hefindslupinsaneasycroptogrowbutoneofthelimitationsisthatyoucannotpushtheyield.

Thissimplicitymakesthemquiteacheapcroptogrow,andtheiracidsoilstolerancemeanstheycanbegrownattheendofthelimingcycle.

InoculationInoculationisoneofthemostimportantstepsingrowinglupins,oranypulse.Apulsemustbewellnodulatedfornitrogenfixationtooccur.

TheScholz’sinitiallytreatthelupinseedwithRovral®fungicide(theactiveingredientiprodionetargetsbrownleafspotandalsosuppressesRhizoctoniahypocotylrot).Lateonthedaypriortosowingthelupinsaretreatedwithaslurryofinoculum.Theyaretreatedastheseedtravelsupanaugerintoachaserbinandtheyareallowedtodry.Thechaserbinaugeristhenusedtomixtheinoculumwiththelupinswhileloadingtheseed

intoatruck.Whenreadytosow,theinoculatedseedisloadedfromthetruckintotheairseedercartinthepaddock.

Sowing timeTheScholz’sliketohavethelupinsinbytheendofAprilastheyhavefoundearlysowingiscriticaltosuccess.IfseasonalconditionsdonotallowsowinginApriltheywillstillsowthroughMay,butknowthatyieldwillbereduced.IflupinsarenotsownbyJunefallowingisconsidered.

PhosphorusInthepast,theScholz’shaveuseddoublesuperbutlogisticallythatwastoochallenging.Keepingasmallquantityofadifferentproducton-hand(deliveryandstorage)andhavingtochangeproductduringsowing(time)wasmoredifficultthanthebenefitsgained.InrecentyearstheScholz’shavebeenapplyingupto60kg/haMAP(12kgP/ha).

ResearchtrialsacrosssouthernNSWovermanyyearshavefoundlupinstobequiteunresponsivetophosphorussoin2012theScholz’ssowedafewstripswithoutanyphosphorusfertiliser.Thenilphosphorusstripscouldnotbeseenintheyieldmaps,sotheynowsowalltheirlupinswithoutfertiliser.

HerbicidesWeedmanagementwithtriazineherbicidesisreasonablystraightforward,buttheScholz’snowlookattheoptionofbrownmanuringasaplannedopportunity,ratherthanjustasalvageoperationifweednumbersblowoutforsomereason.Thisisevenmoreappealingwhenproductioncostsarereducedbysowingwithoutfertiliser.

HarvestingHarvestinglupinsassoonastheyareat13%moistureistheidealbutinpracticethatdoesnotalwayshappen.Ifwheatisreadyforharvestitgetspriority.Theyknowthatthelongerthelupinsareleftinthepaddock,thehigherthecutter-barlosseswillbe.Ifharvestisstoppedbyalightrainevent,thelupinsareusuallyabletobeharvestedbeforethewheathasdrieddownsufficiently.Whilethelupinplantsarestilldamptheyaretough,andcutter-barlossescanbeminimised.

StorageThelupinsarestoredonfarm,usuallyforaboutthreemonths.Lupinsareeasytostoreanddonotreallyrequireanyspecialequipment.TheScholz’shavedevelopedagoodrelationshipwitharegionalfeedmillandtheycartthelupinsthemselves.

BenefitsTheScholz’sstronglybelievethatapulseinthecontinuouscroppingsystemisneededfor:1.nitrogeninput;2.cerealdiseasebreak;3.weedmanagement;and4.thatundefined‘benefit’thatonlyapulsecropcan

addtothesystem.

Murraylikesthenitrogenthelupinssupplyandsays,“Itdoesnothavethedownsideriskinthefollowingcropifthespringcutsoff.Itseemstobemoresustainable.Andthenextwheatcropdoesbetterthanjustthenitrogenvalue.Iamnotsurewhybuttheyalwaysarebetter!”


Keys to successTheScholz’skeystosuccesswithlupinsare:• useofgoodqualityseed;• timelysowingtogetlupinsestablishedduringearly-tomid-May;• goodinoculationtoensureeffectivenodulation;• timelyandeffectiveherbicideapplicationastheyarenotcompetitivewithweeds;and• timelyharvesti.e.assoonasthelupinsareready.


MarketingSellingpulsesisoneofthebiggestchallengesfacingtheindustry.HowevertheScholz’sseemarketingasachickenandeggsituationi.e.productionwillbesporadicuntilthereisastablemarket,andwhileproductionisunreliablefromyeartoyear,themarketsandendusescannotbedeveloped.

CompetitivenessThepoorcompetitivenatureoflupins,andotherpulses,canbeachallenge,particularlyconsideringoneofthekeyreasonstogrowthemistomanageweeds,sousingalternateweedmanagementtacticsandherbicidesisessential.

The futureLupinswillcontinuetobepartofthesystemattheScholz’s.Theywouldalsoconsidergrowingalbuslupinsiftheseweremoreregularlyusedinstockfeedrationsmakingthemarketbroaderandmorereliable.

Theoptiontobrownmanureandgrowinglupinswithoutfertiliserismakinglupinsmuchmoreversatileandattractiveinthewholecropsystem.TheScholz’sarecurrentlyworkingouttheeconomicsofbrownmanuringlupinscomparedtoharvestingthemforgrain.

TheScholz’shavefoundthattheuseofGPSandyieldmappinghasmadeon-farmcomparisonsmuchmoreuser-friendly.Theabilitytoassessyieldresponsesafterharvestratherthanduringsuchahecticperiodisveryappealingandprovidesexcellentinformationonwhichtobasefuturefarmingdecisions.

Wonga narrow-leafed lupins are well suited to the acid soils, some with rocks, which the Scholz’s manage. Photo: Murray Scholz


BackgroundNeilandMargSchirmermanagea100%wintercroppingenterprise12 kmnortheastofLockhartintheheartoftheRiverina.TheSchirmersdonotownanylivestockbutrunsheeponagistmentonsummercropstubbleforuptoeightweeks.Ifitrainsthesheeparemovedofftoprotectthesoilswhentheyaremorepronetodamage.

TheSchirmershaveincludedpulsesintheirrotationcontinuouslysincethemid-1970s.

Pulsesareregularlythetopperformers(ingrossmargin)fortheSchirmers,withlupinsbeingoneoftheirmostprofitablecrops.

Farming systemTheSchirmersoperateano-till,directdrillcroppingsystemusingautosteerandretainingstubble.Theyprefernottoburnstubblesbutwilloccasionallydosoinordertosoworasastrategicweedcontroltactic.

Pulses in the system

Crop sequenceThenormalcropsequencefortheSchirmersiscanola–wheatorbarley–wheatorbarley–pulse–wheatorcanola,althoughtheydonotgrowcanolaafterlupinsduetotherisksofthefungaldiseasesclerotinia(Sclerotinia minor).

Thedecisionofwhichcroptogrowdependsprimarilyonsoiltype,thetimeofopeningseasonalrains,forecastpriceandwhatseedisonhand.

Thedecisionofwhethertoincludeapulsecropinaparticularpaddockisbasedoncropsequencehistoryandtheoverallbalanceofeachcropinthatseasonsothatthewholesystemremainsinbalanceandsustainable.

Schirmer Farming

At a glanceLocationLockhart,RiverinaNSWRainfallAnnualaverage466 mm,ApriltoOctober290 mmSoil typeMajorityredloam,with200 haredduplexsoilwithasodiclayerat10 cmdepthArea managed766haKey enterprisesAnnualwintercroppingAreacropped:700ha(50%cereal,50%pulsesorcanola)Pulses grownFieldpeas,fababeansandalbuslupins

Albus lupins have a good fit in the Schirmer’s farming system, well suited to the lighter rising red loam soils. Photo: Jocelyn Carpenter


BenefitsTheSchirmersseefivekeybenefitstoincludingapulseortwointheircroppingprogram:

1.profitablecrop;2.cropnutritionorfreenitrogen;3.riskmanagement(priceandproduction);4.diseasebreakforallcrops;and

5.herbiciderotationtoreducetheriskofherbicideresistance.

“Pulses,especiallyfababeansandlupins,haveasoilconditioningeffectthatishardtoquantifyorputintowords”,Neilsays.“Theyjustseemtosweetenthesoil.Thefibrousrootsystemoffababeansandthelupintaprootthatpunchesthroughthesoilhelpstoo.Andtheretainedcerealstubbles–itisawholefarmingsystem.”

VarietiesVarietiesareselectedontraitsincludingmaturity,diseaseresistanceandyieldrelativetothosecurrentlygrown.TheSchirmerscurrentlygrowLuxoralbuslupins,FarahfababeansandMorganfieldpeas.

Making pulses workTheSchirmersareguidedbymanyyearsofexperiencewhenitcomestooptimalsowingwindowsforpulsesandwhentomakethecalltochangecrops.

Inoculation

TheSchirmersalwaysinoculatepulses–itisessentialandsosimple.Theyapplyaslurryofpeatinoculantasthepulseseedisbeingaugeredintothegrouper.Eveniflupinsarebeinggrowninthesamepaddockafteronlyfouryearsbreaktheyinoculatetoensureeffectivenodulation.

Sowing depthSowingdepthiscriticalinalbuslupins.Theseedlinghastopushthecotyledons(wholeseed)outofthegroundsoneversowlupinstoodeep(nomorethan40 mm)–youcannotchasemoisture.Fababeansareadifferentstory.Thecotyledonsremainbelowgroundwithjustashootemerging.TheSchirmerswillhappilysowfababeansabitdeeper(upto60 mm)tochasemoistureandgetthemupandestablishedontime.

Soil moisture at sowingTheSchirmersrecommendnottosowinto‘half’moisture.Eithersowdryorintomoisture.Ifthereisnotenoughmoisturetogetthelargeseedstogerminateand

establishitisbettertowait.Albuslupins,inparticular,willrotifsittingindampsoil.

Sowing timeTheSchirmerswillnotsowalbuslupinstooearly(beforemidApril)astheygrowtoomuchbulkwithoutyield.Thisresultsinlotsofnitrogenbeingfixedforthenextcropbutreducestheyieldpotential.Ingeneral,ifthereisnotsufficientsoilmoistureby15May,theswitchismadetofababeansastheyhandlethelatesowingbetterthanthealbuslupins.Ifthesoiltypedoesnotsuitfababeansthencanolaisgrown.

Duringwinter,paddocksthatareonahillexperiencehighertemperatures(bothdayandnight)thanlowercountry,sotheSchirmerssowlupinsinthehillpaddocksaweeklaterthantherestoftheircountryascropswillmakeupgrowthduringtheyear.

Sowing rateSeedingrateofalbuslupinsisincreasedastimegoesbyduringthesowingwindow.InmidApriltheyaresownat95 kg/hawhileinearlyMaytheyaresownat115 kg/ha.

PhosphorusOvertheyearsphosphorusrateshavebeenreducedonpulsecropswhilethesoilphosphoruslevelshaverisentoatleast45 ppm(Colwell).MAPisappliedwiththeseedat8 kg P/ha.TheSchirmershaveneversownpulseswithoutphosphorusanddoubttheyeverwill.

Weed managementTheSchirmershavefoundthatoneofthebiggestdrawbackswithgrowingpulsesistheirlackofcompetition.Unlikecanola,pulsescannotbeusedtocompetewithweeds.This,andthelimitedavailableherbicideoptionsforbroadleafweeds,makesplanningandpaddockchoiceforpulsesessential.TheSchirmersplanwhichpaddocksaregoingintoapulsecroptwotothreeyearsahead.Stickingwithaconsistentbutflexiblecropsequenceisthekeytosuccess.

Fumitory(Fumariasp.)istheoneproblemweedtheSchirmerscannotcontrolinpulsessotheyavoidpaddockswhereitislikelytobeaproblem.

HarvestingTheSchirmersstressthatpulsesarebestharvestedassoonastheyareready.Theywillstartat15%moistureandhappilystoretheminunsealeduprightsiloswheretheydrydowntolessthan12%priortodelivery.Pulsesaretoovaluabletoleaveuntiltheyarebonedry.Fababeanharvestslotsinnicelybetweencanolaandwheat.Howevertoharvestlupinsontimeyouhavetopulloutof


wheatwhichmeanstheysometimesgetleft.Theycanbeharvestedafteraraineventbeforeyoucangetbackintowheat.

TheSchirmerswouldconsiderwindrowingatallcropoflupinstohelpmanageharvestlogistics.

StorageTheSchirmersadmititwouldprobablybebettertouseabelt-elevatortomovethegrainbuttheyuseanaugerwithawornflightasthenextbestoptiontominimisedamagetothepulseseed.Theystoreallpulsesinunsealeduprightsilosandaregraduallyincreasingtheirstoragecapacity.Theyarealwayslookingatwaystoimproveon-farmgrainstorage.

MarketingOverthemanyyearsgrowingpulsestheSchirmershavedevelopedgoodrelationshipswithanumberofgrainbuyersandenduserswhotheyselltoregularly.Theyhaveusedabrokerinthepastwhenamarketingopportunitypresenteditselfforfababeans.Theyseenothingwrongwithgoingthroughabrokerbutitissometimeshardwithpulsesasthebrokersoftendonothavethecontactswithpulsemarkets.

Thepriceoflupinsgoingintothestockfeedmarketgenerallyincreasesthroughouttheyearandintheirexperiencethereisalowriskofapricecrash.Theygenerallytrackwiththesoymealmarket.

TheSchirmersuseregularcontactstosourcetheirownpricinginformationbyphone.

Keys to successTheSchirmersbelieveoneofthemostimportantfactorstosuccesswithpulsesistoselectthepulsebestadaptedtothesoiltype.Forexample,albuslupinsarenotsuitedtoduplexsoiltypeswithatendencytobewaterloggedduringwinter,whereasfababeansarenotsuitedtothelighttexturedsandyredloam.

Anotherkeyconsiderationistheproximitytoothercrops(intimeandspace)includingtheresidueofpreviouspulsecropsofthesametype.Forexample,keepeachlupincropasfarawayaspossiblefrompaddockswithlupinstubblestillpresent.Thisbasicprincipleisessentialforminimisingtheriskofdiseaseinallbreakcrops.

Successwithfababeansreliesonregularandeffectivemonitoringfordisease,especiallychocolatespot.TheSchirmersadvisenottobookaholidayforSeptember.Youhavetobeinyourcropcheckingitandthenapplyingfungicidewhenrequiredtopreventdiseasespread.

Anyonecangrowabrownmanurecropbutalotmoreattentiontodetailisrequiredtosuccessfullygrowapulsecropforgrain.

ChallengesTimingoftheautumnbreakcanbeproblematicifitleadstoaneedtoswapfromanearlysownspecies,suchaslupinsorfababeans,toalatersowncrop,suchasfieldpeas.Thelogisticsofhavingsufficientseedonhandforsuchachangecreatestorageandcashflowissues.

Marketingcanbecomeanissueifaparticularpulsecropbecomesoversupplied.Thishappenedwithalbuslupinsin2010,whenthefinitehumanconsumptionmarketwasoversuppliedduetohighyields.Ifyourfinancialpositionissolid,pulsescanbecarriedforwardwithoutdeteriorationofqualityinstorage.

Pulse industry challengesTheSchirmersseeoneriskthatcouldfacethepulseindustryinsouthernNSWisdiseaseriskasthepulsecropareaincreases.ThishappenedintheVictorianWimmerawithchickpeasinthelate1990s.Goodmanagement,soundcropsequencingandproductionusingthemostdiseaseresistantvarietiesandbestpracticeagronomicmanagementwillallhelptominimisethisrisk.

The futureContinuedimprovementinvarietiesandmanagementskillswillgraduallyreducetheproductionriskofgrowingpulsecrops.Overthepasttenyearsimprovedalbuslupinvarietieshavebeenreleasedwithsuperioryieldandnobitternessproblems.(Formervarietieswerecontaminatedwithbitterlupinswhichcontainedhighlevelsofalkaloidswhichmakeseedtastebitter,lesspalatableandtheseedmaybetoxictohumansandlivestock).

Fababeanvarietiesarecontinuouslyimprovinggivinggrowershigherandmorestableyieldandincreaseddiseaseresistancecomparedtovarietiesgrowninthepast.

TheSchirmershaveseenanimprovementintheinformationavailableandknowledgeamonggrowersandadvisersovertimeduetogreaterexperiencewiththecrops.

Pulses: putting life into the farming system. Pulses. putting life into the farming system NSW DPI....

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